







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Hello there, are you Cate? | |
| What's the time, are we early? | |
| It's Marvin Gaye, from the 60's, but this is the remix. | |
| My cat is in the garden. | |
| Bear's sitting here with me, his willy is out. | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| Come on, don't cry, she is just a stupid girl! | |
| Why don't you get it then? Do you want to see upstairs or not? | |
| Why is that rice so special? | |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | |
| Hey, there is a stranger in the toilet, who is he? | |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | |
| Is your father sick? | |
| Pogo is my little cat, is there a problem with that? | |
| They don't usually work after ten o'clock. | |
| You can just stay with me, until you find somewhere to live. | |